An Inquest into the deaths of Khaola Saleem and her daughter, Raneem Oudeh, continues court room 3, Birmingham Coronor’s Court.
Evidence called during the first week of the inquest has so far revealed horrifying failures by police to follow their own basic policies and guidance when dealing with repeated reports of domestic violence including failures to identify or investigate criminal offences towards Raneem Oudeh (22) from her husband, Janbaz Tarin.
On 27 August 2018, Khaola Saleem and her daughter Raneem Oudeh (22) were both stabbed to death by Reneem’s second husband, Janbaz Tarin, outside Khaola’s home in Solihull, Birmingham.
The inquest to date has heard evidence of call outs to Raneem’s address on seven separate occasions in the lead up to the murders. Recordings of 999 calls have been played and evidence heard from response officer’s attending the address. Despite distressed calls from the victim reporting threats to kill, violence and stalking behaviour from Tarin at no stage was Tarin arrested for any of the crimes nor was he investigated. The 999 call two weeks before the murder was from a neighbour who reported screaming, sounds of her being beaten and his own intervention to make Tarin leave the property. He stated that there were numerous previous incidents from the same address and Raneem had been seen with black eyes and other injuries. Despite this evidence from this call, the officer attending the scene admitted that he failed to investigate any criminal offence, did not consider applying for a protection order and graded the risk as standard despite the clear risk of serious harm. He failed to take note of the details of the call out or to conduct any intelligence checks. Instead he recommended she apply for a civil non molestation order.
The evidence heard also reveals a failure by officers to implement any adequate safeguarding for Raneem, other than telling her to lock her doors and call the police if Tarin returns. Evidence from supervising officers in the public protection unit also reveal the lack of supervision in the context of serious under-resourcing.
The Inquest which is set to continue over the next two weeks is yet to hear evidence relating to the night of the murders. Evidence will also be heard from social workers, probation, the solicitors who obtained a non molestation order as well as senior police officers from West Midlands Police.
Nour Norris, sister of Khoala and aunt of Raneem said, “Its like watching a horror movie in slow motion as we head to the inevitable conclusion”.
The family of the deceased are being supported by Centre for Women’s Justice, Southall Black Sisters, Inquest and Roshni, Birmingham